1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates in general to certain new and useful improvements in ground soil irrigation and more particularly to an improved ground soil irrigation process which uses the addition of an improved synthetic solution grade calcium sulfate dihydrate as an additive to the soil.
2. Brief Description of the Related Art
Solution grade calcium sulfate dihydrate, typically referred to as Gypsum, (CaSO.sub.4 .multidot.2H.sub.2 O) is used widely as an additive to agricultural land throughout the United States and many other developed farming regions of the world for improving and maintaining irrigation infiltration rates. It has been found that soils which contain a proper ratio of exchangeable sodium and calcium ions will have a physical structure that is conducive to rapid water penetration. After a period of time, the physical structure of a soil becomes compacted and is not readily penetrable by water during an irrigation process. This is due to the fact that over a period of time the soil is exposed to sources of sodium ions causing the physical structure to deteriorate.
The use of Gypsum and related compounds effectively reverses the process which is caused by the excess exchangeable sodium ions. Thus, the use of a Gypsum as a soil additive will actually restore the ground soil to its natural state in which water penetration is enabled. The restoration process involves a replacement of the excess exchangeable sodium ions by calcium ions and the latter are rendered available by the calcium sulfate dihydrate.
The higher concentration of calcium ion in solution will cause a faster and more complete ion exchange process. However, due to the fact that irrigation is not a continuous process, the extent of the ion exchange process is time dependent. Therefore, in order to optimize the exchange process, it is necessary to provide the highest possible concentration in the shortest period of time. It is therefore desirable to obtain a very high numerical ratio of a Gypsum particle surface area to its volume in order to improve dissolving rates.
One of the problems presently encountered with conventional solution grade calcium sulfate dihydrates in the fact that the calcium sulfate dihydrate does not remain in suspension for a sufficient period of time. Thus, constant agitation is required. Moreover, the solution grade calcium sulfate dihydrate typically will settle in a container of the composition thereby precluding its disbursion as a ground soil additive adding to the difficulties encountered in the use thereof.
There has been a need for an improved ground soil additive in the form of calcium sulfate dihydrate which has a high dissolution rate and will remain in suspension for a long period of time sufficient to enable disbursion as a soil additive.